The hill station of Dalhousie is full of old world charm and holds lingering echo’s of the Raj; it covers an area of about 15 sq. kms and is built over five hills – Kathlog, Potreyn, Tehra, Bakrota and Balun. The town is named after the British Governor General of the 19th century, Lord Dalhousie. The The town’s height varies between 1525 m and 2378 m and it is surrounded by varies vegetation – pines, deodars, oaks and flowering rhododendron. Dalhousie has charming colonial architecture, including some beautiful churches; a veneer of Tibetan culture has added a touch of the exotic to his serene resort. This hill station also presents magnificent views of Chamba valley and the mighty Dhauladhar ranges with awe-inspiring snow-covered peaks filling on entire horizon.

Fast Facts

Height: 2036 m

Climate: This hill resort is gifted with a pleasant temperature climate. Summers are warm and cotton clothing with light woollens is adequate but winters are cold and heavy clothing is essential.

Churches: St. John’s Church is the oldest one and dates back to 1863; this is located at Gandhi Chowk. St. Francis’, the Catholic Church, lies just above Subhas Chowk and dates back t 1894; the dressed-stone, dark woodwork and stained glass windows are finely done. St. Oswald’s Church is in the cantonment of Bakloh. The cantonment at Balun has St. Andrew’s Church built by the Presbyterians.

Satdhara and Panchpulla: Panchpulla is about 3 kms from Dalhousie’s General Post Office and has a clear stream that gushes down from the heights of Dainkund. By the roadside, a memorial, surrounded by water-pools fed by the stream, has been built in memory of the freedom fighter, Sardar Ajit Singh. En route to the memorial, the waters of the Satdhara springs are believed to have therapeutic properties.

Tibetan Handicrafts Centre: Run by Tibetan refugees, this is a couple of kilometres after Gandhi Chowk, en route to Khajjiar. At the Centre you can also place an order for carpets and other items.

Bakrota Hills and Dainkund: This is a delightful excursion of around 5 kms that encircles Lower Bakrota and can extend longer to the hill of Dainkund. From the top of Dainkund, on a clear day, you can even see the three main rivers of the area – the Ravi, the Beas and the Chenab. En route are colonial houses and small attractive spots – and one of these places in the Subhas Baoli, where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose walked and contemplated while recuperating from an illness in 1937.

Bara Pathar: 4 kms from town and place in thick woods, this is a small temple dedicated to the deity, Bhulwani Mata. This is in the village of Ahia en route to Kalatop.

Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary: This rises past Dalhousie and then goes down towards Khajjiar and Chamba. This covers an area of around 2000 hectares and has numerous animals. The sanctuary area is covered with thick woods of pine, oak and deodar. In between, there are open pastures. The highway from Dalhousie to Chamba, through Khajjiar cuts through the sanctuary.